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Mourners line the street for Martin Dinnegan’s funeral. Right, family and friends leave the church |
Classmates say final farewell to a boy ‘who had so much talent’
Friends wear ‘Rest in peace’ t-shirts at funeral of 14-year-old stabbed to death in street
FRIENDS of stabbed schoolboy Martin Dinnegan lined the street to pay their last respects at his funeral on Tuesday.
Hundreds of St Aloysius College pupils made the sign of the Cross as the funeral cortege left St Mellitus Roman Catholic Church, in Tollington Park, Finsbury Park, on its way to the cremation at East Finchley.
The 14-year-old, who lived off Fonthill Road with his parents, three brothers and two sisters, was stabbed to death three weeks ago at the junction of Axminster Road and Tollington Way, Holloway.
The church was packed with relatives, many of whom had travelled from Scotland and Ireland for the funeral. Loudspeakers relayed the service to those outside the church.
A reading was given by Martin’s aunt, Cathy Mitchell, followed by specially-written poems by 14-year-old schoolgirls Pamela Nyandu, Jennifer Otadende and Solangie Repale, former classmates of Martin at Christ the King Primary School in Finsbury Park.
They wore white t-shirts with “Rest In Peace” on the front and their Year Six class picture on the back.
Pamela said afterwards: “He may not be here in body but he’s here in spirit. We were in the same class and I knew Martin almost all my life. He had so much ambition and so much talent.
“It meant a lot to me to be able to read my poem at the service. It was a real privilege because I wanted to say goodbye properly.”
The service opened with the hymn Christ Be Beside Me and included You Are Always Close to Me, sung following Holy Communion.
Martin’s funeral was led by Bishop Bernard Longley and St Mellitus priest Father David Ardagh-Walter.
Also present was Father Jim Kennedy, the Roman Catholic Dean of Islington.
A Mass on Monday night, as Martin’s body arrived at St Mellitus, preceded the funeral.
Hundreds of cards printed by nearby Islington Arts and Media School featured the poem “Little We Knew” with the words: “Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same.”
Father David praised Martin’s sense of identity and his pride in his Gaelic roots. He urged other young people to follow Martin’s example and shun violence.
He said: “People with no sense of purpose in their life are not going to have any sense of purpose for anybody else.
“We are here not to look back on a life that has ended but to pray for Martin that his purpose continues to be fulfilled.”
Father David added: “There’s nothing we have more need of than reconciliation and a refusal to fall back to the ghastly practices of warfare and violence.”
After the service, Martin’s father James and elder brothers James and Anthony, with his uncle and cousins, carried the coffin marked with a floral crucifix from the church.
The funeral cortège passed the Cornwallis Adventure Playground, which Martin loved so much, on the way to East Finchley Crematorium, where 14 doves were released.
The private service for family and friends at the crematorium was followed by a wake at St Mellitus church hall.
Afterwards, Martin’s mother, Lorraine, said: “I would like to thank everyone who attended Martin’s funeral. It was very comforting to have them there. The St Aloysius pupils lining the street were very dignified and the teachers have been fantastic.”
• Four accused, including a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old, have appeared in court charged with Martin’s murder. |
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